1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to watercraft generally and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a novel system for docking watercraft.
2. Background Art
Watercraft can be severely damaged while docking in a berth on a floating dock or while docking on a trailer or while docking on a boat lift. Such damage can occur due to wave action, wind, and/or operator error.
Some attempts to limit the damage are as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,342, issued Dec. 30, 1969, to Aks, and titled PILE MOORING BUMPER, discloses a pile mooring bumper which is intended to be used with a watercraft tied between two piles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,962, issued Mar. 8, 1977, to Groblebe, and titled BOAT LOADING STRUCTURE, discloses a boat trailer having a pair of side rails with bars extending upwardly from the side rails. Each of the bars has a spring connecting it with a side rail and has a roller member rotatably attached to the upper end thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,046, issued Jul. 6, 1982, to Thomerson, and titled BUMPER RING WITH RELIEF GROOVE, discloses a system for protecting the legs of an offshore platform which includes a bumper system having its upper and lower ends attached to the platform.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,420, issued Mar. 31, 1987, to Johnson, and titled PROTECTIVE COVER FOR BOAT HOIST BUMPERS, discloses two or four bumpers attached to a lift for boats. Each bumper is covered with a protective composite sleeve, the bumpers constructed usually of foamed polystyrene. Each bumper is flared outwardly to conform to the side of the boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,562, issued Feb. 9, 1993, to Hallin, and titled LAKE DOCK POLE ACCESSORY SYSTEM, discloses a plurality of vertical bumpers attached to a lake dock, the bumpers being provided for the tying up of a watercraft thereto. Each bumper has a protective central portion of wood.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,342, issued May 21, 1996, to Wright et al., and titled MARINE DOCK BUMPER AND TIE LINE STORAGE DEVICE, discloses a vertical dock bumper which, in pertinent part, includes a padded section of desirably a blown closed cell polyurethane foam with a formed skin.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,499,915, issued Dec. 31, 2002, to Tayman, and titled PORTABLE PILING EXTENDER APPARATUS, discloses a vertical piling extender, the extender to prevent the rub rail of a boat from riding over the top of the piling.
Brochure by Ve-Ve Incorporated, Ramsey, Minn., copyright 2001-2005, shows various types of roller guide ons for watercraft.
The prior art disclosed above has some serious disadvantages. First, some of the bumpers use a relatively soft center member. Second, some are designed to contact the watercraft below the rubrail of the watercraft, thus tending to mar the topsides. Third, some are complicated structures. Fourth, some are not self-draining.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a system for watercraft docking that does not have a relatively soft center member.
It is a further object on the present invention to provide such a system for watercraft docking that contacts only the rubrail of the watercraft, thus not marring the topsides of the watercraft.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system that is simply constructed.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide such a system that is self-draining.
Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features, elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or be apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.